Refrigerated cream dispensing cabinet



Jan. 12, 1954 R. w. WALKER 2,665,563

REFRIGERATED CREAM DIsPENsING CABINET Filed April 19, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 1 E 1E ll Tt E l.-

ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1954 R w WALKER 2,665,563

REFRIGERATED CREAM DISPENSING CABINET Filed April 19. 194s 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. RONALD W. WALKER ATTO RNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1954 REFRIGERATED CREAM DISPENSING CABINET Ronald W. Walker, Amarillo, Tex.

YApplication April 19, 1948, Serial No. .21,956

2 Claims.

For many years it has been the practice in restaurants, cafes, cafeteras, hotel dining and breakfast rooms, drug stores, and the like places handling and dispensing foods and drinks, to have convenient a plurality of small containers, commonly called creamers These are adapted to contain a measured amount of cream which is considered the proper amount of cream to be added to a cup of coee. Generally speaking, these creamers are preferably lled with cream so that the waiter or waitress can conveniently serve a filled creamer with each cup of coifee ordered. While these creamers are not necessarily subjected to any unusual amount of contamination, yet the general practice is merely to position a plurality of such creamers on a convenient tray or the like, so that a waiter may quickly pick up the necessary number of crearners to be served with an ordered number of cups of coffee or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide -a refrigerated unit whereby a container of cream may be kept at a desired temperature, .and also a plurality of previously lled creamers may be conveniently positioned.

A further object of my invention is to provide a sanitary, refrigerated unit adapted to contain a plurality of filled creamers and one or more containers for a source of supply of cream.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a refrigerated unit within which a cream container may be stored, and also a plurality of desirable creamers.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away,

Fig. 3 is an irregular cross section on the Aline 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The refrigerating unit is preferably made of cast aluminum, stamped aluminum, stainless steel or any other appropriate metal or material, preferably made in a generally cylindrical shape and having side walls Il). Spaced from the side walls I0, I provide an inner side wall I2, which -provides a void space between itself and the side wall I0, into which any suitable insulation (not shown), such as ground cork, or other suitable material may be packed so that outside heat may not enter and pass through the side walls I and I2, and likewise cold within the side wall I2 cannot pass therethrough and penetrate the enternal wall I0.

In the approximate center an additional up- 2 right wall I4 is provided so that there will be a substantial space between the internal upright wall I2 and the wall I4. This space between the walls I2 and I4 is adapted to be suitably packed with cracked ice, Dry Ice, or other desired refrigerant.

The side Wall I6 extends downwardly to a suitable base I6, and has positioned between its top and bottom, where it is attached to the base I6, a sub-base or partition I3. The sub-base or partition I8 is provided with a plurality of suitable cast bosses 20, which are adapted to serve .as spacing elements for the walls I2 and I4, described above. It will be understood, of course, that the walls Ill, I2 and I4 may be suitably secured to the bosses 24 by any desired method of fastening the same in their desired position, such as riveting, sweating, welding, bolting, or the like.

The partition I8 is provided at one point on its periphery with a suitable outstanding lug 22 which will be in registry with a similar outstanding lug 24, cast on the base I6 in proper alignment with the lug 22 on the partition I8. Suitably positioned between the lugs 22 and 24, l provide a plurality of cast shelves or trays 25, constructed with crowfoot lingers 26, fanning outwardly from lugs 28, similar in size and shape to the lugs 22 and 24 described above. These lugs are positioned as disclosed more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, and a suitable pivot pin or pintle 30, may be inserted therethrough and fastened by conventional screw threads within the internal screw threads provided in the lug 24, cast integrally with the base I6. With this construction it will be obvious thatthe upper portion of the container will .be securely held in position above the base I6, and the trays 25 supported by the crowfoot fingers 26, will be held so that they may be pivoted into the position in which they are shown in the figures, or may be swung outwardly from the general contour of the container as a whole. Each separate tray 25 is provided with a. suitable handle 32, preferably attached thereto approximately diametrically opposed to the lug 28.

Above the partition It and adapted to fit over the upper ends of the walls I6, I2 and I4, I provide a suitable cover 34, which is provided around its periphery with a rim 36 adapted to close securely the insulation space between the side Wall I6 and the internal side wall I 2.

An upstanding, preferably hinged, cover 38 is adapted to cover the internal bottle container surrounded by the side walls I4. It will be understood, of course, that the space between the side Walls i4 is large enough to contain a standard milk or cream bottle, such as those commonly used today by dairies. Consequently, when a supply of cream is desired, it will be necessary only to hinge the cover 38 upwardly away from the main cover or top 34, so that the cream bottle 40 may be readily removed therefrom. Preferably the cream bottle 4) will be provided with a suitable cover or top d2, which preferably will be made of metal, rubber, plastic, or other material, and which will be provided with a small spout or spigot B4. The purpose of this is obvious in that the supply bottle of cream may be readily removed and will have been previously provided with a. cap having a spout 44, so that cream therefrom may be easily poured into the small creamers i, which will be retained on the trays 25.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 only one supply bottle 4i? has been disclosed, but it also will be noted that one half of the general container .has been utilized and therefore ample space will be `furnished for an additional supply bottle to 'be stored.

With this construction it will be obvious that a supply bottle of cream, or the like, willbeireadily maintained at a Vproper temperature by .the ice which is packed between the upright Walls l2 and ld, and also the refrigerating eiect of the ice will be transmitted through .the :partition f8. to properly refrigerate the small creamers, which have been previausl-y filled. and .positioned on the trays supported bythe crowieet. 'With this constructionrt will Ibe obvious that a source of supply of Acream is properly refrigerated, and also a plurality of creamers are not-only positioned for proper refrigeration, but for 'easyaccess when the Vsame are needed for service.

I claim:

1. In a lcream dispensing cabinet an insulated jacket, a refrigerant containing chamber, a container chamber partially surrounded by the said refrigerant containing chamber, a plurality of hingedly supported circular trays below the said refrigerant and container chambers, and a cover mounted above said chambers, a second cover hinged to the rst mentioned cover and positioned above and adapted to close the said container chamber.

2. A substantially cylindrical cream dispensing cabinet including a base, a partition, and an insulating jacket circumferentially surrounding the same; a container chamber, and a refrigerant chamber mounted above said partition, and a cover enclosing the said chambers; a horizontally lhinged coversecured to said first mentioned cover approximately above said container chamber; and circular trays hingedly secured within the said cylindrical cabinet, beneath the said refrigerant chamber and between the said base and the partition, the said trays swinging outwardly from beneath Ythe said partition.

RGNALD W. WALKER.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 940,416 Young Nov. 16, 1909 1,400,643 Van Dyke Dec. `20, 1921 2,104,584 Wison Jan. 4, 1938 2,112,315 Crisman Mar. 22, 1938 2,119,332 Kern May 31, 1938 2,246,853 Martin June 24, 1941 2,564,165 Magis Aug. 14, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 550,980 France Mar. 24, 1923 

